I've never understood this obsession I keep hearing about from time to time with forcing you to use a name from the language you're learning, unless it's Latin or Icelandic or something and the cases won't work right.
When I learned Spanish (and French, and Italian, and German), nobody tried to put me in a different name (at least not since grade six).
I sympathize! Especially since it sounds like your teacher is trying to cloak the weirdness in pedagogy. I like zevinboots' idea -- can you ask your teacher for an androgynous moment? If you play your cards right, it'll be a teachable moment and she'll get distracted.
(Pilar is another androgynous name, although it leans feminine, and so is Cruz, I think.)
Urgh, yes to the stereotypical thing - we have a German exchange program at my school as well, and when the German kids come here, they're always like, "Why are you using names that sound like they're from 1950s children's books?" (Incidentally, Wikipedia says that Kai is also Basque, which is theoretically just as legitimate, yet it's apparently not acceptable to maestra.)
:) Thanks for hopefully giving me enough courage to actually say that to her. I really don't want to give up being called my real name for 1/4 of the day after only two weeks of consistently having people use it.
When I learned Spanish (and French, and Italian, and German), nobody tried to put me in a different name (at least not since grade six).
I sympathize! Especially since it sounds like your teacher is trying to cloak the weirdness in pedagogy. I like zevinboots' idea -- can you ask your teacher for an androgynous moment? If you play your cards right, it'll be a teachable moment and she'll get distracted.
(Pilar is another androgynous name, although it leans feminine, and so is Cruz, I think.)
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
:) Thanks for hopefully giving me enough courage to actually say that to her. I really don't want to give up being called my real name for 1/4 of the day after only two weeks of consistently having people use it.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
She accepted my statement, so yay! Thank you!
Reply
However never in learning French, German or Spanish did I have to "pick" a name.
Reply
Leave a comment